


A Magician’s Last Moments.

by PanWithThePlan



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Absent Asra, Apprentice’s last moments, Busy Julian, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Red Plague, Trans Male MC, afab mc, pre game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-27 18:51:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19796917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PanWithThePlan/pseuds/PanWithThePlan
Summary: Abandoned by his lover and forgotten by his friend, a Magician’s final moments come and go in the blink of an eye.





	A Magician’s Last Moments.

**Author's Note:**

> With such little knowledge of the Red Plague, most of my research had to be based off the Black Plague with the added symptoms known from the lore.
> 
> If you have read the chapter before you’ll see it’s different Because the first version just didn’t need do it for me. So I hope you all enjoy this one more. 
> 
> If I got anything wrong, please let me know. I’m desperately trying to get back into writing and this has given me a lot of muse, I hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Mazikeen is a Transgender male, and goes by He/Him pronouns.

It was my own fault if, I’m being honest. What did I really expect when I kept getting too close? Trying to comfort everyone that were too weak to travel to Lazerat? I was always so tired anyways because of my work as an apprentice to the Doctors, I ignored the ache that crept it’s way into my bones. 

I was fine the night before as I returned to the shop. I was told I’d be useless falling asleep on duty so they sent me home on the orders to return to work the next day. The shattered pieces of a vase lay at my feet as I walked in and I was still too tired to pick it up. I had thrown it at the door just as Asra walked out that day...when he ran off to act like things weren’t bad her in Vesuvia, like people weren’t dying.

The memory of his words cut me sharper than any blade could, he was so sure that there was nothing wrong we could do and I was so sure that he was wrong. I felt such regret in my heart that tears came to my tired eyes, spilling over to trickle down my cheeks as I walked through the shop towards my room, ready to drown my sorrows in a bottle of wine because it had been a good four or five months since he left and I still hadn’t cleaned up those damn shards, and every time they just reminded me again of my heart break. 

Tossing my things aside and kicking off my boots, I sat on my bed and glanced at the half empty bottle, calling my name. Sighing, I grasped it by the neck and brought it up to my lips to drink deeply before I sat it back down, sniffling as I wiped my eyes. I had to pull it together! A plague was more important than a silly broken heart. 

That’s what I told myself, but it didn’t stop me from tossing my glasses onto the dresser before grabbing the bottle again or spending the next five minutes trying to down it all so quickly because the exhaustion and frustration was almost making me cry once more. 

I wish I could say I was out like a candle as soon as my head hit the pillow, but no, sleep decided to elude me for the better part of the night, even as the tears dried up, there was no feelings of relief. My body ached worse, my eyes grew slightly itchy. I had been so busy helping others I guess I hadn’t been taking care of myself, surely I was just dehydrated and overworked, the wine wouldn’t help at all but I had herbs to cure all of that. It would have to wait though, I honestly couldn’t be bothered to go look for them. 

By the time my body allowed sleep, the sun was already starting to rise and I was expected back in the dungeons in a while, but I told myself just a little longer would be okay. 

Yet when I woke with a start, nausea coming over me, my hair clinging to my head, sweat soaking me from head to toe but I was freezing. I used all my strength to roll over to hang off the bed, the vomit forcing it’s way out of me so violently, I was sure it would strain my throat along with the coughing that came soon after, making me regret my little drinking session the night before. 

As I rolled back onto the bed, I groaned, wiping my hair from my forehead. I had to get up, had to be back in the dungeons, I didn’t want the Doctors to think I was neglecting my training. I wanted to get up and go on with my day, but it took a few minutes but I was able to shakily push myself up, my gaze finding the window to show the day had came and went, the sun was setting. 

Bringing a hand up to rub my head, I sighed, knowing I was going to have to clean all this up at least, deciding that since no one had come to bang on my door, they must not need me, I could be a little selfish just one time, right?

Doing my best to stand straight, I used my bed frame to pull myself up, wobbling a little before I was able to regain my balance. I grabbed my robe to slip on, as I dragged my feet out of my room and towards the herb racks in the front of the shop, they’d help settle my stomach. Bringing them over to the cooking pit in the room behind the counter, I was glad I still had some water left to boil the herbs in, but they’d take a while to steep. 

Reluctantly, I made my way back to the room, cleaning up the mess I made before the smell could leave a lingering odor and ruin the day even more. 

I felt tired, my mouth dry, but I couldn’t figure out why I’d be so achy, my stomach tied up in knots with itchy eyes to add to the mix as the cough I had earlier decided to rear it’s ugly head again as I tossed the dirtied cloth into the clothes bin. 

Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried to use my hands and magic to create some warmth, desperate to get rid of this chill that I could feel nearly deep in my bones practically, but it wasn’t enough so I decided to clothes all the windows so when the evening air cooled off, it wouldn’t add to the problem. 

Food was definitely out of the question, and I even wondered if I could keep the tea down long enough for the remedies to take effect, but I had to try. So I took care of some other needs that required my attention before just sitting by the cooking pit, trying to keep warm and wait for the tea. 

After a while, I decided it was fine, ladling some into a cup, figuring it was best dipped lightly instead of downing it like the desperate man I was. I wanted at least some relief. 

Letting the herbs settle, sipping the tea more and more, I felt a bit better, a small smile on my lips now as I stood from the small table and headed back for the bed, I needed to sleep some more, let my body heal. 

Knock knock. 

Knock knock!

Knock! Knock! Knock! 

I groaned, the banging on my door rousing me from my sleep. My first thought was how much I wanted to yell at whoever was disturbing me but, I could barely move, feeling a weakness in my bones even worse than the day before. 

As the knocking became louder, more urgent, I pushed myself up, falling over the edge with a thud which made me thankful my bed wasn’t too high from the ground. Getting to my feet was no easy task but I managed, using whatever I could to stumble towards the door, opening it slightly. 

“Yes?” I called, internally sighing because my voice sounded horrible. 

“Mazikeen?” Came an elderly voice. Of course, it was the Baker’s wife, she was always making sure she couldn’t be ignored. “Is that you?”

“Yes,...it’s me.” I cleared my throat. “I’m feeling a bit under the weather, Esther, I don’t want to get you sick too.”

“Well that explains why I saw you enter your shop and not hear a peep for three days.”

“Three?” I asked, confused. “That’s...impossible...I-“

Suddenly a coughing fit came over me, my hand flying to my mouth as it took everything in my power not to vomit again as I felt something warm now on my palm. Shakily, I looked, my bottom lip quivering as fear had rendered me speechless, the crimson liquid gliding across my skin before I rubbed it off in my robe.

“That’s a bad cough there.” Esther said, alarmed, backing away slowly. Everyone knew I worked with the Plague Doctors and now if I had become sick, even a blind man could see what was happening. “I’m....I should...”

“Please!” I tried to stop her, opening the door a bit more.”...Esther....send word to the Doctors...have them tell Julian I need him.” 

“I will.” She said, the sound of her feet quickly fleeing. 

I closed the door, locking it before I leaned against it, sliding down to the floor to give my aching legs some relief. I probably shouldn’t have sent for Julian, he was so busy already. I held a hand over my eyes, the pressure behind them almost driving me up the wall. Everything ached and I just wanted to scream and cry, wanted Asra to be here to hold me in his arms one last time. 

Even a Magician couldn’t cheat death...

I couldn’t tell how long I sat there, or how long it took for another knock on my door, but it brought me back to reality, back to remembering the pain I was in. Maybe...maybe they finally came to see me...maybe one of the Doctors or Julian himself were worried and when they heard from Esther I was sick, they came to see me. 

I tried to pull myself up to my feet, the insistent knocking fueling my will to stand and unlock the door. Then I heard them. 

“Magician! There has been a report, come with us immediately!” 

Magician? Not Maze? Or Mazikeen? I didn’t recognize the voice and what little bit of hope I had left drained from me instantly. My strength faltering, I managed to open the door, falling to the ground as it came open. Two Plague Doctors stood at my door step. 

They seemed to want to be careful, but needed to work fast, quickly wrapping a warm blanket around me. Maybe he couldn’t come himself so he sent them to get me. Every movement bringing pained noises from my lips as the man carried me out of the shop everyone gasping and keeping their distance. I looked around, seeing Esther as we went by, she the shaky woman crying as she kept repeating the same phrase. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Why was she sorry? They were taking me to Julian, why would she be sorry if I would at least die near my friend? That’s when I saw the direction we were going. Towards the docks, my eyes widening as fear gripped me even more than it already had. I wasn’t heading for the dungeon, I was heading for Lazaret.

I didn’t want to try and look at the pity on the rest of the faces, so I just closed my eyes, letting my head rest on the doctor’s chest as they brought me to the docks...

My last words barely above a whisper, to whom or why, I don’t know.

“I’m sorry.”

**Author's Note:**

> My research explained that untreated, the plague could kill in under 24 hours but with further lore research I found the Red Plague could take up to three days so by ignoring the beginning symptoms, Mazikeen found out too late, having slept through most of the day it gave the plague free reign over him to begin the stages of the body basically killing itself and shutting down. 
> 
> If anyone is interested, I’ll be sure to upload another chapter of Asra returning and Julian finding out as well. Thank you.


End file.
